U.S. patent number 4,371,597 [Application Number 06/228,685] was granted by the patent office on 1983-02-01 for layer-built cell.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.. Invention is credited to Hironosuke Ikeda, Shigehiro Nakaido, Satoshi Narukawa.
United States Patent |
4,371,597 |
Ikeda , et al. |
February 1, 1983 |
Layer-built cell
Abstract
The present application discloses a layer-built cell comprising:
a cell assembly formed by putting together a plurality of elemental
cells each having thereon a positive terminal and a negative
terminal, such that the positive terminals and the negative
terminals of the respective elemental cells are located on the same
plane; a first insulating plate disposed on the cell assembly and
having therein a plurality of through-bores; connecting pieces
located on the first insulating plate and passing through the
through-bores to connect the elemental cells to one another in
series; a second insulating plate disposed on the connecting pieces
and having two through-bores; positive and negative lead pieces
passing through and projected from the through-bores in the first
and second insulating plates; and a terminal plate disposed on the
second insulating plate and having thereon a positive external
terminal connected to the positive lead piece and a negative
external terminal connected to the negative lead piece. Thus,
according to the layer-built cell of the present invention, it is
possible to prevent undesired electrical connects between the
plurality of connecting pieces and the positive and negative lead
pieces. Furthermore, according to the present invention, since all
elemental cells can be used in the same positional direction, the
assembling work may be very simplified.
Inventors: |
Ikeda; Hironosuke (Hirakata,
JP), Narukawa; Satoshi (Kobe, JP), Nakaido;
Shigehiro (Kobe, JP) |
Assignee: |
Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
(Moriguchi, JP)
|
Family
ID: |
11767796 |
Appl.
No.: |
06/228,685 |
Filed: |
January 26, 1981 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
|
|
|
|
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Jan 31, 1980 [JP] |
|
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55-11073 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
429/153; 429/158;
429/160; 429/161 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H01M
6/46 (20130101); H01M 50/50 (20210101); H01M
50/20 (20210101); Y02P 70/50 (20151101) |
Current International
Class: |
H01M
2/20 (20060101); H01M 2/10 (20060101); H01M
6/42 (20060101); H01M 6/46 (20060101); H01M
002/24 () |
Field of
Search: |
;429/152,153,156-161,178 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Skapars; Anthony
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Darby & Darby
Claims
What we claim:
1. A layer-built cell comprising:
a cell assembly formed by putting together a plurality of elemental
cells each having thereon a positive terminal and a negative
terminal such that said terminals of said plurality of elemental
cells are located on the same plane;
a first insulating plate disposed on said cell assembly and having
therein a plurality of through-bores;
connecting pieces passing through said through-bores of said first
insulating plate and over the surface thereof to connect the
positive and negative terminals of said plurality of elemental
cells electrically in series;
a second insulating plate disposed above said connecting pieces and
having two through-bores;
a positive and a negative lead piece each connected to and
extending from a respective positive and negative terminal of a
cell of the assembly and passing through said through-bores in said
first insulating plate and said through-bores in said second
insulating plate; and
a terminal plate disposed above said second insulating plate and
having thereon a positive external terminal connected to said
positive lead piece and a negative external terminal connected to
said negative lead piece.
2. The layer-built cell as set forth in claim 1, wherein the
elemental cells are organic electrolyte cells and the cell assembly
has three such elemental cells, the elemental cell located at the
center of said cell assembly being covered with an insulating
member.
3. The layer-built cell as set forth in claim 1 or 2, further
comprising an outer case which is put onto the cell assembly and
from which at least the positive external terminal and the negative
external terminal project.
4. A layer-built cell as in claim 1 wherein each elemental cell has
an outer casing of electrically conductive material forming a cell
electrode, said cell assembly being formed by three said elemental
cells placed adjacent one another, and an insulating member
covering the outer casing of the center one of the three elemental
cells.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a layer-built cell formed by
putting together a plurality of elemental cells each having thereon
a positive terminal and a negative terminal.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In a conventional cell, for example the 006P-type cell for
producing 9 V, six elemental cells each of 1.5 V are electrically
connected in series and are housed in an outer case.
In a 1.5 V-alkaline cell of the cylindrical type, the positive
terminal and the negative terminal are respectively located on the
top and bottom surfaces of the cell. Therefore, where six alkaline
cells of this kind are used as elemental cells and are electrically
connected in series to one another, in two rows in each of which
three cells are arranged with their positive terminals oriented in
the same direction, such arrangement requires a long connecting
piece for connecting the negative terminal at the bottom of the
elemental cell in one row to the positive terminal at the top
surface of the elemental cell in the other row. This arrangement
and also requires a long connecting piece for connecting the
negative terminal at the bottom of the elemental cell in said other
row to the negative terminal disposed at the top surface of the
entire cell unit. Thus, such arrangement causes the insulating
mechanism and the assembling work to become complicated and
troublesome.
On the other hand, where the positive terminals of three elemental
cells are oriented in one direction and the negative terminals of
other three elemental cells are oriented in said one direction with
the respective elemental cells alternately arranged in one line,
such arrangement can shorten the lengths of the connecting pieces
for connecting the positive terminals of the elemental cells to the
negative terminals of the adjacent elemental cells. However, such
arrangement that the positive terminals of the respective elemental
cells are not oriented in one direction, causes the entire cell
structure to become unstable and complicated.
Since the outer case for the 006P-type cell is of the square shape,
the use of cylindrical elemental cells presents a disadvantage that
the spacial volume of the outer case is increased.
Furthermore, in the 006P-type cell, a large number of elemental
cells are required. Each of the elemental cells is adjacent to at
least two other elemental cells. In order to prevent undesired
electrical contacts between the respective adjacent elemental
cells, the respective elemental cells should be covered with
insulating sheets, making the assembling of the elemental cells
become disadvantageously troublesome.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a layer-built cell and includes a
cell assembly formed by putting together a plurality of elemental
cells each having thereon a positive terminal and a negative
terminal, such that the terminals of the respective elemental cells
are located on the same plane. A first insulating plate is disposed
above the cell assembly and has therein a plurality of
through-bores and connecting pieces located on the first insulating
plate pass through the through-bores to connect the elemental cells
to one another in series. A second insulating plate is disposed
above the connecting pieces has two through-bores and positive and
negative lead pieces extend through the through-bores of the first
and second insulating plates. A terminal plate is disposed on the
second insulating plate and has thereon a positive external
terminal connected to the positive lead piece and a negative
external terminal connected to the negative lead piece.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The present invention will further be described, by way of example,
with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of layer-built cell
in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a section view taken along the line A--A in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a disassembled perspective view of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a cell assembly in the course of
assembling the layer-built cell in FIG. 1;
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an elemental cell used in FIG. 1;
and
FIG. 6 is a section view taken along the line B--B in FIG. 5.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The description hereinafter will discuss in detail an embodiment of
layer-built cell in accordance with the present invention with
reference to FIGS. 1 to 6.
First of all, the description will be made of an elemental cell
used in the layer-built cell of the present invention, with
reference to FIGS. 5 and 6.
A 3 V-elemental cell 1 is a square-shape lithium-manganese dioxide
cell. An outer vessel 2 for the elemental cell 1 is formed by
casting a metallic sheet such as a stainless steel sheet, and
serves as a positive terminal.
A closure cover 3 for the outer vessel 2 is made of a metallic
sheet such as a stainless sheet, like the outer vessel 2. The
closure cover 3 is secured to the outer vessel 2 by such as
laser-welding, and may be utilized as a positive terminal. The
closure cover 3 has therein a through-bore 4, into which an
insulating cylindrical member 5 made of a TEFLON resin or the like
is fitted. The upper and lower flanges of this insulating
cylindrical member 5 cover the upper and lower surfaces of the
closure cover 3, respectively.
A metallic ring 6 is disposed at the bottom of the insulating
cylindrical member 5. A negative terminal pin 7 is inserted into
the hollow portion of the insulating cylindrical member 5.
A circular negative terminal 8 is formed at the upper end of the
negative terminal pin 7 in a unitary construction therewith. The
negative terminal pin 7 is calked at the lower end thereof by the
metallic ring 6, so that the negative terminal pin 7 is secured to
the closure cover 3 in an electrically insulative manner and in an
air- and liquid-tight manner.
A negative electrode 9 is made of a rolled lithium plate in which a
collector member 10 is embedded. The collector member 10 has a
projecting tab portion 11, which is secured to the lower end of the
negative terminal pin 7 such as by spot-welding. Thus, the negative
electrode 9 is electrically connected to the negative terminal pin
7 through the projecting tab 11 of the collector member 10.
Positive electrodes 12 are formed with manganese dioxide utilized
as active material. These positive electrodes 12 are disposed at
the both sides with respect to the negative electrode 9 through
separator layers 13 impregnated with an organic electrolyte. The
positive electrodes 12 come in contact with the outer vessel 2, so
as to be electrically connected therewith.
The description hereinafter will discuss a layer-built cell of the
006P type using the elemental cells 1, and its assembly method,
with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4, and more particularly to FIG.
3.
First of all, first, second and third elemental cells 1, 1' and 1"
are put together to form a cell assembly 14 such that the negative
terminals 8, 8' and 8" of the first, second and third elemental
cells 1, 1' and 1" are not aligned with one another but are located
in a zigzag manner.
An insulating member 15 of conforming shape covers the second
elemental cell 1' located at the center among three elemental cells
1, 1' and 1".
A negative lead piece 16 is secured to the negative terminal 8 of
the first elemental cell 1. Conductive connecting pieces 17 and 17'
and a conductive positive lead piece 18 are secured to the
respective closure covers 3 of the elemental cells 1, 1' and 1" at
the opposite sides thereof with respect to the negative terminals
8, 8' and 8".
Disposed on the top of the cell assembly 14 is a first insulating
plate 19 having therein four rectangular-shaped bores 20 and two
circular bores 21. The negative lead piece 16, the connecting
pieces 17 and 17', and the positive lead piece 18 pass through the
four rectangular bores 20, respectively.
After having passed through the bore 20, the connecting piece 17 of
the first elemental cell 1 is turned on the first insulating plate
19 to pass through the adjacent circular bore 21 (FIG. 4) and is
then electrically connected to the negative terminal 8' of the
second elemental cell 1' such as by spot-welding. Similarly, the
connecting piece 17' of the second elemental cell 1' is
electrically connected to the negative terminal 8" of the third
elemental cell 1". Thus, three elemental cells 1, 1' and 1" of the
cell assembly 14 are electrically connected in series, which status
is shown in FIG. 4.
Disposed on the first insulating plate 19 is a second insulating
plate 22 having therein two through-bores 23. The negative lead
piece 16 and the positive lead piece 18 pass through these bores
23, respectively. This second insulating plate 22 enables to
prevent completely contact between the negative lead piece 16 and
the connecting piece 17' and also contact between the positive lead
piece 18 and the connecting piece 17.
Then, the cell assembly 14 is covered with an insulating member 24,
for example an insulating thermocontractile tube, so as to securely
fix three elemental cells 1, 1' and 1" to one another.
Disposed on the second insulating plate 22 is an insulating
terminal plate 27 having a negative external terminal 25 and a
positive external terminal 26 which pass through the terminal plate
27. The negative external terminal 25 and the positive external
terminal 26 are electrically connected to the negative lead piece
16 and the positive lead piece 18, respectively.
An outer case 29 having an inner flange 28 at the upper end thereof
is put onto the cell assembly 14 from the top, and a bottom plate
30 is put to the bottom of the cell assembly 14. The lower edge 31
of the outer case 29 is fastened to the bottom plate 30, thus
forming a layer-built cell shown in FIG. 1. l
It is to be understood that, although three elemental cells 1 have
been used in the embodiment discussed hereinbefore, the number of
the elemental cells is not limited to 3, but four or more
electrical cells may be used.
Industrial Utility
A plurality of elemental cells each having a positive terminal and
a negative terminal at the top surface thereof are put together to
form a cell assembly such that the respective terminals of the
elemental cells are located on the same plane. Disposed on the cell
assembly is a first insulating plate having therein a plurality of
throughbores. The elemental cells are electrically connected in
series by the connecting pieces extending over this first
insulating plate, thereby to prevent undesired electrical contacts
between adjacent elemental cells, otherwise caused by the
connecting pieces. Disposed on the connecting pieces is a second
insulating plate having therein two through-bores, through which
the positive lead piece and the negative lead piece of the cell
assembly pass. Such arrangement prevents undesired electrical
contacts between the connecting pieces and the lead pieces. Thus,
all elemental cells can be used in the same positional direction,
so that the assembling work may be facilitated.
Where 3 V-organic electrolyte cells of the square type are used as
elemental cells, only three elemental cells are required for
forming a 006P-type cell. Furthermore, in order to prevent
undesired electrical contacts between adjacent elemental cells, the
only elemental cell located at the center in the cell assembly is
required to be covered by an insulating member, whereby the cell
assembling work may be facilitated. Moreover, according to the
present invention, since square-type elemental cells are used, the
spacial volume may be reduced.
* * * * *